Oral

Communication:
Some Basic
Principles

INTRODUCTION
Classify basic principles of oral
communication,
Explain why oral communication is
important
Roles of speakers and listeners in the
communication process
Identify interference in communication.

PRINCIPLES OF ORAL
COMMUNICATION
Good oral communication skills is crucial to
ones success
Camp and Satterwhite (2002) explained that
oral communication is a two-way process that
requires both a speaker and a listener.
Both the sender of a message and the receiver
of the message must have good speaking skills
and good listening skills respectively.
Oral communication therefore involves two
crucial skills - listening and speaking.

Characteristics of Good Listening

Skills
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Pay attention to what people say;

Understand the message;
Remember what you have listened;
Evaluate what you listen; and
Respond to the speaker by giving
feedback.

Good Speaking Skills

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Be able to interpret meaning according to context;

Know the regulative rules of speaking;
Know the constitutive rules;
Use the proper volume;
Use the proper pitch; and
Use proper intonation.

Importance of Oral Communication

Two importance of oral communication are:

1. Oral communication is important if we want to build

friendships.
2. Good oral communication skills also help in knowledg
acquisition.

ROLES OF SPEAKER AND

LISTENER
both the speaker and the listener
has responsibilities in the
communication process:
a. evaluate the situation
avoid miscommunication
give and receive feedback
maintain goodwill

b. understand needs (Maslows

Hierarchy of needs)

physical needs
security needs
social needs
esteem needs
self actualisation need

c. use Interpersonal Skills

make you-statements
have a positive attitude
be a good listener
keep things confidential
be considerate

INTERFERENCE IN
COMMUNICATION
there are several types of noise that
might interfere with the communication
process:
a. physical interference (traffic sound);
b. physiological interference (hearingimpaired);
c. psychological interference
(prejudices);
d. semantic interference (language
differences)

Four Factors of Interference in Communication

Factors of Interference in
Communication
1. Physical Interference - Examples of physical
interference are loud noise, sound of a train,
loud music etc. All these are beyond our
control.
2. Physiological Interference - This refers to the
speaker and the listener. The speaker or
listener may be hearing impaired, have
articulation problems or have memory loss.

3. Psychological Interference - A listener or

speaker who is emotionally disturbed or preoccupied may not be a good communicator.
Anger and emotions will distort the message.
4. Semantic Interference - Semantic deals with
meaning. When we are not familiar with a
certain culture, language and dialect, meaning
may not be clear. Misunderstanding may take
place due to semantic interference.